The new beginning
by Ming1
Summary: Grissom’s figured out what to do about “this”. (G/S)
1. Default Chapter

Title: The new beginning  
  
Spoilers: A bit of The Hunger artist, Play with fire, Inside the box.  
  
Rating: PG-13   
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. I wrote this just for fun.  
  
Summary: Grissom's figured out what to do about "this". (G/S)  
  
Author's note: This story is set after the episode " Inside the box". This is what I wish to happen in the forth season. (A girl can dream!) This is my first fanfiction and English is not my first language so be patient with my English. I'll try better next time. Well! Enjoy.  
  
Grissom's surgery went well and he's in full recovery. Tonight was the first night that he went back to work after his surgery. He was getting ready to work. He felt excited. It's the thing that he hadn't felt for a while since he discovered about his hearing. It's like he's getting his life back again. He's ready to get back in the field again. He thought back of what Cassie James said to him about two years ago "You'll never know what you need until you find it". He looked at himself in the mirror one last time before he left his house. "This may be a start of something new" he said it aloud.   
  
He thought he was the first to arrive but apparently someone beat him.   
  
"Hi! Griss. You're back." Sara greeted him with her beautiful smile.   
  
Grissom was startled a bit because he didn't expect anyone to come in before him. He looked at her slim form standing at the door of his office.  
  
"Hi! Sara. You're in early." He said with a small smile and a confused face.  
  
"Oh! I've to do paperwork for my case last night so I came in early to finish it up" She beamed at him. Her answer was not totally true. She left the part that she knew he's going to come back tonight and she was so excited that she couldn't wait for the shift to start.  
  
"Is there anything I can do to help? I don't have anything to do right now and I'm bored" He told her with a pleading look on his face.  
  
'How could I refuse him with that face?' She thought to herself.   
  
"I think you could help me with the case if you know about bugs" She teased him.  
  
"Miss Sara Sidle it's your lucky day because bugs happen to be the only thing in my life that I truly understand. Leads the way" He grinned back at her and followed her.  
  
Catherine, Warrick, and Nick had just got in and they're heading to the break room. They heard someone laughing.  
  
"Did you hear that?" Nick asked.  
  
"Yeah" Catherine and Warrick replied at the same time.  
  
"But that can't be who we think they are" Catherine said with amusement in her voice.  
  
"Let's check that out then" Nick leaded them to the break room.  
  
They're right. Grissom and Sara were laughing. They sat really close to each other because their heads almost touched each other's.  
  
"Ahm!" Catherine decided to interrupt their moment.  
  
They both turn to the origin of the sound and then they saw three grinning faces. They blushed when they're aware that they'd been caught.  
  
"Are we interrupting something?" Warrick grinned.  
  
"Um… No, you aren't. We…err…I just help Sara with her case." He tried to compose himself. He didn't aware of the time. He's having a very good time working with Sara. 'I miss working with her. Maybe I should work with her tonight'  
  
"Yeah. He's just helping me with my case" Sara tried to hold back her smile.  
  
"Since when a case gets to be so funny." Catherine teased them.  
  
"Oh! That. I was showing Grissom how the suspect blurted out everything he'd done. Apparently, I was good at acting so I made him laugh quite a bit." Sara grinned at the thought of making Grissom laughed.  
  
"Sara, I've never known that you're so good at it. It's very funny." Grissom added.  
  
They're all exchanging their looks. 'Grissom is weird today'  
  
"Shall we get started?" Grissom asked.  
  
"Yes" They agreed.  
  
"Catherine and Warrick, you guys got the 2 DBs down the Strip. Nick, you got robbery. Sara, you're working with me tonight. We've got DB out in the dessert." Grissom handed out their assignments.  
  
"Wow! I'm working solo tonight. It's nice to have you back boss." Nick said with a very happy face.  
  
"Welcome back, Boss" Warrick patted Grissom on the shoulder on his way out of the room.  
  
"Welcome back, Gil" Catherine said with a smile.  
  
They found the murder weapon that leaded them to the suspect. They work well together and they're very professional except when Sara slipped and Grissom quickly grabbed her from behind to help her from falling down the stairs. Her face was reddened when he didn't let go of her arms. A few minutes a later, he let go of her and whisper to her ear so that no one can hear. "You smell good"   
  
It was the end of the shift and nobody had gone back from the scenes except him and Sara. Grissom thought back at the time they're at the stairs. He smiled at that.  
  
"Is there anything funny that I should know of?" Sara asked from the door. She was just coming to his office to say goodbye but she found him smiling to himself. She's curious what could make him smile this beautifully.  
  
"What?" Grissom frowned.  
  
"I saw you're smiling so I'd like to know what make you smile like that" Sara pressed.  
  
"Oh! It's nothing. I was happy to be working again." He told her half the truth because he's happy to be working with her again.   
  
"Well! Welcome back, Griss. This place is strange without you. I was just leaving and wanted to say goodbye. It's good working with you again. Goodbye."  
  
Right then and there he knew what he wants to do.   
  
"Sara, wait!" He called her before she left his door. He walked up to her and he's standing in front of her to block her from leaving his office.  
  
"I…um…Do you remember the last time we're here at this spot?" He asked her while he's trying to avoid her eyes.  
  
"Yes, I do. Actually, we're in the opposite position." She said while she's pointing her fingers back and forth.  
  
"I know that I've treating you badly last year. I want to say I'm sorry." He looked at his feet to try to find some courage to look up to her.  
  
"It's o.k. You're not treating me that bad. Let's forget it, o.k.?" She looked at him and she knew that it's very hard for him to do this.   
  
"No, it's not o.k, Sara. I'm not being fair to you. I want to correct that but I'm not so sure what to do" He looked up at her eyes to tell her that he meant everything he said.  
  
"Sara, would you like to have breakfast with me?" He looked directly into her eyes begging her.  
  
"Well… I don't" She tried to hold back her smile when he closed his eyes after hearing her answer.  
  
"I don't think I have anything better to do so where would you like to take me?" She smiled.  
  
Grissom opened his eyes again and saw her beautiful smile directly at him. He's smiling too. He's so relief that she actually forgave him and she's still wants to sit at the same table with him.  
  
"Wherever you please, madam." He grinned and stepped aside to let her walk past him. 'She's still smell good after working all night' He closed his door and followed her.  
  
It'd been two months since he asked her to have breakfast with him and they'd had breakfast together ever since both with themselves and the gang. Nobody knew about their breakfast ritual even Catherine. But the gang had suspicion toward their boss's behavior because he seemed to be more relaxed and they didn't hear him having an argument with Sara since he got back from his vacation. Moreover, he and Sara had been working together all the time. Nobody talked about this because they were enjoying his good mood so no one pressed this issue upon them.   
  
Sara was sitting in the break room looking at the photos she took from a crime scene. She and Grissom had to work double so they didn't have time for breakfast this morning and she's a little bit disappointed because she loved having breakfast with him. It's the time that she's been waiting all day for. Sometimes they talked and sometimes they ate in a comfortable silence. She knew that he worked hard to figure out his feeling toward her so she let him took his time. She didn't want to press him. Things were great and she knew that she had to wait for him until he's ready. 'Thinking of Grissom. Where is he?' He called her about 30 minutes ago to tell her to meet him here in the break room.   
  
"Good Morning, Sara!"   
  
Sara turned to the voice and here he was walking in the break room.  
  
"Good Morning to you too. Where have you been?" Sara asked him curiously.  
  
"Sorry for keep you wait. I heard that there's new place that has many good vegetarian dishes so I stopped by that place to buy our breakfast since we don't have time to go out and have one." He answered with a grin.   
  
"You really go out and get me a breakfast?" She asked with a surprising look on her face.  
  
"Yes. Is it too much to believe?" He asked and glanced back at her.  
  
"No, I'm just surprise." She answered him.  
  
"What's the matter? Don't you like it? I'm sorry I shouldn't…"  
  
Sara interrupted him "No, it's not like that at all. Please don't be sorry. I'm glad that you get me a vegetarian breakfast. That's very sweet of you, Gil."  
  
Grissom looked up when he heard the use of his nickname. 'She doesn't usually use my nickname. What does this mean?' He wondered.  
  
"Oh! Let's eat then." He smiled at her.  
  
Sara nodded in agreement.  
  
They ate and talked about their case. They hadn't found a suspect. They'd only murder weapon and DNA. They'd to find someone to match this DNA with.   
  
"This is good, Griss. Next time, you've to take me there with you." Sara said.  
  
"Is it a request or a command?" He asked while his eyes still looked at the photos.  
  
"A little bit of both." She answered. She's so happy. His behavior this morning surprised her and it seemed to her that he felt more comfortable with their relationship. She debated with herself whether they're ready for the next step. Then she blurted out.  
  
"Do you want to have dinner with me tonight?" She was shocked that she said this out loud. 'Oh! My God. Did I really ask him again?' 'What if he rejected her this time?'  
  
"You know as a celebration if we find a killer." She added before Grissom could answer her. 'Please, don't say no. I don't think I can handle more rejection.' Sara thought to herself.  
  
"Sure" He answered as he's looking at the file.  
  
'What did he say? Did he say yes?' She was stunned.  
  
"What?" Sara asked. She apparently confused by his answer.  
  
"Sure. Why not? Let's have dinner tonight." He looked up at her to meet with her big brown eyes stared at him.  
  
"Come on. Let's go find Greg. May be he has found out more about those objects that you collected from the ground near the body." He said while he's standing up and moving toward the door.  
  
Sara sat still. She didn't move an inch.  
  
"SARA! Are you coming?" Grissom said a little louder.  
  
His voice brought her back. 'Am I dreaming? I don't think so. He really said yes.'  
  
"Yes, I'm coming." She answered while she's getting up from her seat. Then something brought up to her mind. 'Oh! My God. What should I wear tonight?'  
  
The objects that Sara found leaded them to the killer. DNA matched perfectly. Grissom was in his office to finish the paperwork. They don't have to work tonight because they already do the double. Sara was walking nervously toward his office. 'Why am I nervous? It's just dinner. It's no big deal, right? Will he forget our conversation this evening? She walked not knowing that she'd arrived in his office.  
  
Grissom looked up at the person walking into his office and the person seemed a bit off so he called her name.  
  
"Sara?"  
  
Her head snapped up toward his voice. 'When did I arrive here? Calm down, Sara' She tried to convince herself.  
  
"Um…Griss. I was wondering about our dinner tonight." She told him. She tried to avoid his eyes. She didn't want him to see that she was nervous.  
  
"Oh! About that. Why don't you go and freshen up? I'll pick you up around 7 if that's alright with you." He looked at her curiously with her behavior.  
  
She looked up and met his deep blue eyes. She only saw his determination. She knew that she was stupid thinking that he'd forget.   
  
"Griss, Is this a date?" She teased him.  
  
"What do you think?" He asked trying to avoid her question.  
  
"If it involve with dinner and two people, I'd like to think that it's a date. You don't have to do this if you're not ready. I understand." She said this to make sure that he thought it through.  
  
"Then, it's a date. I'll pick you up at 7." He smiled back at her to assure her that she had nothing to be worried about.  
  
"O.K. See you then." She smiled her best smile at him. 'It's so real. I can't wait. Now, I have some other things to worry about "The dress".'   
  
After she left, Grissom let out his breath that he didn't know that he'd been holding. 'That went well, I think.' He's also nervous but he's better at hiding his feeling than Sara. He had reserved their seats at the very nice restaurant. 'I hope she like it'.  
  
It's 6.45 p.m. when he arrived in front of her place. It was nervous. He wasn't sure that he should wait until 7 p.m. He decided to call her and told her that he's here.  
  
"Hey! It's Grissom." He said.  
  
"Hi!" She answered her phone.  
  
"I want to tell you that I'm here now but you can take your time I can wait." He told her nervously.  
  
"Do you want to come up for a drink? I'm almost done." Sara said.  
  
"O.K." Grissom replied.  
  
She heard a knock on her door. She went there and opened it. He was wearing black suit and blue shirt that matched his eyes. 'He looks amazing.' She thought. Then she saw he was carrying red rose bouquet in his hand. She was wearing black satin dress that fit perfectly with her body. 'She looks breathtaking' He thought.  
  
"This is for you, Sara. You look beautiful." He smiled at her.  
  
"Thank you. You look handsome. I think you should wear this more often. The girls at the office would go crazy if you dress like this to work. Come on it. I'll go get the vase to put these flowers in." She said and walked into her room to find the vase.   
  
Grissom followed her into the room. He looked around observing her room. He'd never been here before. He sat on her sofa with his eyes still looked around her apartment. He saw the orchid that he gave her. 'It seems that she's been taking very good care of it' He smiled at that.   
  
"What are you smiling at?" Sara asked with a grin.  
  
"I was looking at the orchid that I gave you. It's still here. I thought you might throw it out or something." He said.  
  
"How could I do that? I love it, Griss. It's beautiful and I think that it make my room looks better. What would you like to drink?" She said while she was walking to her refrigerator.   
  
"No, I'm fine. I think we should get going if you're ready." The thought of spending more time alone with her in her apartment was making him crazy. He wanted her so bad but he didn't want to ruin their first date. 'Get a hold of yourself' He told himself.  
  
"I'm ready. Let's go." She glanced at him. 'He looks so sexy. His hair looks perfect with its curls. I want to touch it.'   
  
He helped her put on her coat and his hand touched her skin. It made her shiver. She turned around only to find those deep blue eyes staring at her. 'Wonder, what his hair feel like' She reached out her hands to touch his hair and run her fingers through his soft curls. He was startled by her touch. He looked into her eyes, her nose, and her mouth. He wanted to taste her so badly. He looked into her eyes once again for any sign of rejection. He found none. He moved forward and reached out his hand to touch her face. 'Her skin was so soft' He cupped her cheeks with both hands. He bent down a little bit. The moment that their lips touched, they felt something ignited and it sent a spark to both of them. He kissed her slowly at first and then their kiss become more forceful and powerful. They had to stop to catch their breath. It was fantastic and they knew it. They also realized that they had to stop now before it got too late. 'This could wait after dinner.' They thought.  
  
"We should go now. I don't want to be late for our first date. We can continue this after dinner." Sara glanced at him. She saw that he was blushing by her words. 'That's cute'  
  
He offered his arm to her and she gladly took his arm. He led her to his car and opened the door for her and he drove to their restaurant. 'I can't wait for a dinner to finish.' They both smiled at their thought.  
  
The End.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Well! What do you guys think? Should I continue? Or Should I stop at this? I hope that it's not that bad. 


	2. Chapter2

Title: The new beginning  
  
Spoilers: A bit of The Hunger artist, Play with fire, Inside the box.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. I wrote this just for fun.  
  
Summary: Grissom's figured out what to do about "this". (G/S)  
  
Special Thanks to Ina for being my beta reader. Thanks for being patient with my writing.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
After they had finished their dinner, Grissom took Sara home. They had been quiet since they left the restaurant. They were both nervous. Sara decided to break the silence.  
  
"Why are you being so quiet?" Sara asked.  
  
"Am I? Well, you didn't say anything after we left so I figured that you didn't want to talk." He answered with his eyes looking toward the road.  
  
Before Sara could speak, they had arrived to her apartment. She debated with herself. 'Should I ask him to come up? I think I'd better ask, right? I've been waiting for too long now.'  
  
"Sara?" Grissom interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"Are you okay? We're here." Grissom looked at her with concern.  
  
"Do you want to come up for a cup of coffee?" Sara asked bluntly.  
  
Grissom had been caught off guard by her question. 'Did I just hear what I think she said?' He looked at her big brown eyes that looked directly into his eyes. 'How could I say no to her? She looks amazing tonight. The dinner went well. We talked, laughed at each others stories.'  
  
"Sure" He answered with a smile.  
  
She seemed somewhat relieved that he hadn't refused her invitation. She led him to her apartment.  
  
"Take a seat, Griss. I'll be out in a minute." With that, she went to her kitchen to make him coffee.  
  
Grissom sat still. He was afraid to move. He was so nervous that he started sweating. Sara observed him while making coffee. 'He looks nervous. I think I had better make him feel more comfortable before he pass out on her couch.' "Here you are, Griss." She handed him his coffee and then she sat next to him on the couch.  
  
"Thank you." He smiled back.  
  
"What do you think of my apartment?" She tried to break a silence.  
  
"It's nice and cozy. It's not big but it's warm. I think it suits you well." He grinned at her.  
  
"Really? You think that I'm nice and warm?" She teased him.  
  
"Yes, I think you are. Moreover, I think you are beautiful person both inside and outside." He looked straight into her eyes knowing that there was no turning back in this situation.  
  
"Griss, I." Sara tried to avoid his gaze.  
  
Grissom reached out his hand to lift up her chin so that he could meet her eyes. When their eyes met, they knew how much they had wanted each other. They started kissing and it seemed that they couldn't stop. Their kisses became more and more passionate. All the tensions and the waits stopped right after their lips had touched.  
  
"Sara.Sara, I think." Grissom said between their kisses.  
  
"Shh.Grissom. No talking." Sara ignored him.  
  
He broke their kisses reluctantly. He looked at her while he was still holding her close to him. They both breathed heavily to find the air for their lungs.  
  
"I think we should stop at this. I don't want to ruin this Sara. I don't want to rush this. You are too important to me." He tried to breathe.  
  
"Grissom, I've been waiting for this moment for almost ten years, since I first met you. I can't wait any longer. Make love to me, Gil." With that, she grabbed him and kissed him even harder.  
  
All the rationale in his brain had left him, all he could think about was making love with Sara on the bed. He took her in his arms and carried her to her bedroom. Their lips never parted.  
  
He woke up the next morning feeling exhausted but in a good way. He thought back of last night. He had never been this happy before. Now, he didn't even know how he could live without her again. He turned his head to the left only to see a beautiful angel lying next to him. Sara felt his gaze. She opened her eyes to see those deep blue eyes staring at her. She smiled at him and climbed up to lay on top of him.  
  
"Good morning" She kissed him.  
  
"Good morning to you too." He kissed her back.  
  
"You know this is the first day in my life that I don't want to go to work. I want to lay here next to you all day." He started kissing her again.  
  
"Just lay here and do nothing?" She said playfully.  
  
"We could do this and a little bit of that" He started kissing her all over her body.  
  
"Oh, Griss. I have never known you were very good at this."  
  
"Nobody knows and I'd like to keep it like that."  
  
"I won't tell" She told him.  
  
Because of this morning, they had to skip breakfast. They had decided that they would meet up before they went to work. Grissom had to go home to take a shower and change his clothes. He left her house reluctantly. He didn't want to but he had to. Sara had promised to make dinner for him as a gratitude for taking her to a fabulous dinner last night. She knew that she didn't have to do this but she wanted to make him dinner. She wanted him to know that she could cook.  
  
"You are early." Sara opened her door.  
  
"I missed you and I didn't want to be alone in my house but I can go back if you prefer." He told her and looked down at his feet.  
  
"No, I don't want that. I missed you too. Come in before I change my mind." She walked to her kitchen to continue her task.  
  
Grissom hurriedly walked into her room. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked.  
  
"No, all I need you to do is sit back and relax. There are new forensic journals and some magazines on the table. You can read while you are waiting for me." Sara told him.  
  
After 10 or 15 minutes, their dinner was ready.  
  
"Sara, this looks great!" He said, looking at the many dishes on the table.  
  
"Thank you." She proudly presented her food.  
  
"Let's eat. Shall we?" He looked between her and the food on the table.  
  
"This is delicious Sara. Thank you." He sat on her couch waiting for her to join him. They had finished their dinner and they still had one more hour before they had to go to work. Sara sat down next to him. She pressed against him. 'This is good.' She thought.  
  
"I could get used to this you know." He whispered into her ear.  
  
"Me too, Gil." She hugged him tighter.  
  
They both decided that they would keep things to themselves. They went to work in separate cars. They separated professional and personal. It had been almost three months since their first dinner date. Things were great. They had gone back and forth between his house and hers. They were inseparable both at work and home. Though they had tried to be professional at work, they had also tried to get close to each other as much as possible especially when there were only two of them in the room. They had changed and these changes didn't go unnoticed. The gang had started to notice these changes when Grissom didn't give Sara a big case with the two women that were raped and killed and she didn't argue or protest. Grissom and Sara had been working together most of the time. No one said anything because they had been benefited with Grissom's good mood.  
  
Everybody was in the break room. They were waiting for Grissom to hand out the assignments.  
  
"Sara, you look different lately." Catherine asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sara frowned.  
  
"You are glowing, girl." Catherine winked at Sara.  
  
Sara blushed at that. 'I can't help it. I am in love with the man I have always wanted to spend my life with.' She thought. She tried to suppress her smile at Catherine's comment.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about" Sara tried to look innocent.  
  
"Come on Sara. Just tell us. Have you been dating someone?" Nick asked, looked directly at Sara.  
  
Sara tried to avoid their gaze. She knew that she couldn't keep secret from them any longer but she really enjoyed the time she had spent with Grissom alone. 'We're not ready to tell them.'  
  
At that moment Grissom walked into the room. He handed out their assignments without looking up from his files and then he left the room. Sara was so relieved that he had barged in here and had helped her distract the others. She rushed out of the room and followed him.  
  
"Thank you." Sara walked into his office. "What for?" He had finally looked up, confused by her gratitude.  
  
"Well, before you walked in there, they interrogated me about my good mood and the person that I've been dating." She said and sat in the chair opposite him.  
  
"Oh. What did you tell them?" He moved forward in his seat waiting for her answer.  
  
"Nothing. You rescued me from answering their questions." She grinned.  
  
"Let's go. We've got 419 tonight." Grissom changed the subject and walked to the door waiting for Sara to follow him.  
  
It had been raining outside and they were wet from head to toes. They had come back to the lab to get their evidence checked in. Before they had gone in the locker room to get changed, Grissom's phone rang.  
  
"Grissom" He answered, looking at Sara who was busy taking those damp clothes off her.  
  
"What? Do I have to? I've just. O.K. Fine. I'll go in." He answered with tired voice and hung up the phone. He felt his migraine coming.  
  
"I've got to go, Sara. You can start without me and call Nick. He can help you with this case." He told her and started to walk out of the room.  
  
"Griss, wait! Where are you going? You are still soaking wet." Sara said with concern in her voice.  
  
He turned back to her. "I've got to go to Sheriff's office now. I'll talk to you later." With that, he hurriedly left the room.  
  
It had been four hours since he left. Sara was concerned. 'Where is he?' She had been staring at the hallway looking for any sign of Grissom.  
  
"Sara" Nick called. She hadn't turned  
  
"Sara" Nick called a little louder and she still hadn't turned.  
  
"Sara!" Nick shouted.  
  
"Nick, you scared me. Why do you have to shout?" Sara turned to him and frowned.  
  
"I called you three times, Sara. Where are you?"  
  
"I'm here. What do you mean you called me three times? I didn't hear anything." She said, still confused.  
  
"You're not focus, Sara. What's wrong? It seems to me that you're miles away from here." Nick said, concerned.  
  
"It's nothing. I'm sorry. Let's get back to work." She avoided his gaze and continued processing.  
  
Nick looked at her and decided to drop it for now.  
  
It was the end of the shift and Sara still hadn't seen Grissom. He had turned his phone off. Sara was agitated. 'Where is he? Why didn't he turn on his phone?' She sat in his office waiting for him. She heard her phone ringing and she looked at it and she saw who was calling.  
  
"Where are you?" Sara answered harshly.  
  
"Good Morning to you too, Miss Sidle. I've got the feeling that you didn't have a good morning."  
  
Sara felt bad by using that tone on him. "I'm sorry. I was just worried about you. I haven't heard from you all night. Where are you?"  
  
"I'm sorry that I didn't call. I'm still at the Sheriff's office. I'm still at the meeting. They were arguing about changing some policies and they still haven't reached the same agreement. I hate this. I'm stuck here and I can't leave until they are done. I had to tell them that I needed to go to the men's room before I got out." He said, exhausted.  
  
"Poor thing." She felt sorry for him because she knew how much he hated politics.  
  
"I also want to tell you that I wouldn't be able to make it to our breakfast so you can start without me or you can go with the gang. I've got to go now. Maybe I can see you before the shift starts tonight." He sadly told her.  
  
"O.K. See you tonight then. Hang in there." She tried to cheer him up.  
  
"O.K. Bye." He didn't want to go back in there. He would rather be with her instead of these people. He's cold and he's having a headache. He looked into the room and wondered 'When is it going to end?' before he walked into the room.  
  
Sara and Nick were in the layout room. They were still working on the last case they had been assigned to. Nick looked over at her. Sara hadn't said anything since they walked into this room.  
  
"Sara, are you o.k?" Nick asked concerned.  
  
"What?" Sara answered more harsh than she intended to. Nick was taken aback with her behavior. Sara noticed that. "I'm sorry, Nick. I didn't mean to. I just." She didn't know how to explain her bad mood to Nick. 'How could I tell him that the reason is Grissom?' Grissom called her about three hours ago to tell her that he can't have dinner with her this evening because he got a new case and he was still at the crime scene. On top of that, he sounded extremely tired. His voice was hoarse. She knew that he hadn't had any sleep since they checked in last night. She was worried. 'Has he eaten anything?'  
  
"Sara? Is there something bothering you? Maybe I can help. Just talk to me."  
  
Sara shook her head. "There's nothing you can do Nick because it's not about me." She turned to look at the door and saw Catherine walk into the room.  
  
"There you are. I've been looking for you guys to tell you that there are no new cases yet so you can continue with your case." Catherine said, pointed her finger at their file and turned to leave the room.  
  
"Where is Grissom?" Sara asked Catherine before she walked out.  
  
"I think he's with Doc. Did you know that he's working solo? That's weird, isn't it? I haven't seen him working solo for quite sometime now. Anyway, I've got to go." She left.  
  
Sara signed and headed back to work. 'I had better find him soon.'  
  
After Dr. Robbins had finished his analysis, Grissom had been standing still, looking at the body. He was exhausted. Though he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, he was not hungry. All he wanted to do was sleep. He was still cold despite that he had changed his clothes. To added up, his headache had been getting worse and worse. He couldn't seem to focus. He heard Doc's voice from time to time. His mind was fuzzy.  
  
"Gil?" Dr. Robbins called, looking at Grissom's face.  
  
Grissom looked up. "Yeah?"  
  
"Are you alright? You seem a bit off and you look kind of pale." Dr. Robbins said, still observing his friend.  
  
"I'm fine. I was just tired. Thanks Doc. I think I should go and find Greg to ask about those fibers that you sent him." He left before Dr. Robbins could speak.  
  
Sara had just got back from the suspect's house. It was still raining. She went to the locker room to get changed. When she left the room, she heard someone coughing. She looked down the hallway to find the origin of that sound and then she saw the door of his office was half-opened. The room was quite dark. The only light in the room was coming from the lamp on his desk. He was sitting at his desk and his head was in his hands and he was still coughing. She walked in there quietly.  
  
"Have you seen my boyfriend?" Sara asked, closing the door behind her.  
  
He was startled by her voice that his hand had slipped and he almost hit his head on the desk. Grissom looked up. 'When did she walk in here?'  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Are you all right?" She asked concerned.  
  
He nodded and looked into her eyes.  
  
"I missed you." They spoke at the same time. They laughed at that.  
  
Sara stepped closer. "I'm serious, Griss. You don't look good. Have you eaten anything since yesterday?"  
  
He didn't want to worry her so he lied. "Yes, I have."  
  
Sara frowned suspiciously. "Really?"  
  
"Yes." He tried to clear his throat. "How is your case going?" He tried to change subject.  
  
She knew what he was trying to do. "My case is fine, Grissom. We got the suspect. But I don't think that you are judging from your look." She sat on his desk still observing him.  
  
He finally gave in. "Fine. I am very tired. Is that what you wanted to hear?" He was coughing again.  
  
"Not only that, I want you to get some rest and find something to eat before you collapse." She told him worriedly.  
  
He knew that she meant well. "Just give me a couple more hours. I'm so close to get the killer." He pleaded her.  
  
"O.K. I'll meet you here in a few hours and then we can go home. I've still got a case to solve." She reached for his hand and squeezed it to reassure him.  
  
He smiled at her. 'She always makes me feel better when I hit the bottom.'  
  
"See you." He waved at her.  
  
TBC 


	3. Chapter3

Title: The new beginning  
  
Spoilers: A bit of The Hunger artist, Play with fire, Inside the box.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. I wrote this just for fun.  
  
Summary: Grissom's figured out what to do about "this". (G/S)  
  
I'd like to thank Ina for doing beta for me. Your comment and guidance mean so much to me. (  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Sara was caught up with her case longer than she had expected. She had paged him to tell him that she would be late. When she finished, she went to find Grissom. He was sitting on the couch in the break room. His head was rested on the back of the couch with his eyes closed. Sara quietly walked up to him and sat beside him. He hadn't noticed that there was someone sitting beside him. His head was throbbing and it was quite difficult to breathe.  
  
Sara touched him lightly on his arm. "Gil."  
  
He hadn't moved.  
  
Sara tried again. "Honey, it's time to go home." This time she shook him gently.  
  
Grissom opened his eyes slowly. 'The light in this room is too bright.' He groaned.  
  
Sara reached out her hand to touch his face. It was hot.  
  
"Griss, you have a fever!" Sara panicked.  
  
"You didn't need to shout. It's just a cold."  
  
Sara ignored him and helped him getting up.  
  
"Can you walk to the car by yourself? Or you want me to help you." She asked with concern.  
  
"I'm fine." He swayed slightly as he rose up from the couch. Sara instantly grabbed his arms keeping him from falling to the floor.  
  
"See! I told you. You are not fine." She told him, holding his arm.  
  
Grissom hadn't said anything or moved since he got up from the couch.  
  
"Gil, what's the matter?" She asked softly.  
  
"I'm dizzy that's all. I think we'd better go." He said so softly that she could barely hear him. He slowly walked out of the room.  
  
"I'm going to get our coats and your briefcase. I'll meet you by the car. Are you going to be alright walking to the car by yourself?" She followed him closely.  
  
"I'll manage. See you at the car." He waved and left for the car.  
  
It was still raining. She saw him leaned against the side of her car waiting for her. He looked pale and seemed to be in pain. She walked hurriedly towards him.  
  
"Why are you standing in the rain? You're sick and this is not going to help."  
  
He ignored her comment. "How are you going to explain it to them?" He pointed at some lab techs and officers who stared directly at them.  
  
"Explain what?" Sara asked confused by his question. She put his briefcase at the back of the car and handed him his coat. "Put it on. You're shivering."  
  
"They might think that I'm going home with you." He took his coat from her and put it on.  
  
"How can they possibly think that? I mean there're many other reasons that can explain why you are in my car." She opened the door and held it open for him to climb in.  
  
"Now, get in the car and no more arguing. Please." Sara pleaded him.  
  
He sighed and got in the car. Sara closed the door and walked to the driver's side. While she was driving, she constantly glanced at him. He was sitting slumped in the passenger's seat with his head leaning on the window of the car. It hurt to see him like this. 'This is what love is. You share everything even pain.' She reached out her hand to hold his. He turned to her and smiled weakly before he closed his eyes again to hide his pain.  
  
They had arrived 30 minutes later. Sara looked over at Grissom. He had his eyes closed tightly, unaware that they had arrived. She touched his forehead to feel his temperature and she didn't need the thermometer to tell her that he had high fever because he was hot. He stirred at her touch but didn't open his eyes. Sara shook him lightly and waited till he did.  
  
"We're here. Let's go." She smiled at him when he opened his eyes slowly.  
  
He remained silent. She walked up to him and put his arm on her shoulder to help him get into the house. He walked unsteadily into his house. Before she could get him to his bed, he finally broke the silence.  
  
"Sara, I don't feel good." He said grumpily.  
  
"I know that. That's why I took you home."  
  
"No, I think I'm going to throw up."  
  
With that, she quickly took him to his bathroom and it seemed that she made it in time because when they reached it, he couldn't hold it any longer. She rubbed his back up and down trying to ease his pain. When he was done, she took him to bed. She changed his clothes and pulled a blanket on him.  
  
"I'll be right back." She whispered.  
  
She came back with a little piece of cloth and a bowl of warm water. She used it to wipe the sweat out of his face. She toweled his body as well. When she had finished, she walked out of the room to get his medicine and water. Sara shook him lightly. "Take this." He opened his eyes and took it without protesting. He was too tired to do that. After a few seconds, he dozed off.  
  
Sara sat beside him for a while before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. When she went back to the bedroom, she noticed that he was restless. He was sweating and looked really uncomfortable. She sat down on the bed beside him and took a piece of cloth that she had brought earlier to wipe the sweat off his face. It was painful for her to see him like this. She climbed on the bed and lay down next to him. She rubbed his arm trying to soothe him. He seemed more relaxed by her touch. After a few minutes, she fell asleep.  
  
Sara woke up after six hours of sleep. She turned on her side and reached out only to find an empty bed. 'Where's Grissom?' She got up and walked toward the noise that was coming from the living room.  
  
He was coughing very badly. Though he tried to keep the noise down as much as possible, it was becoming more difficult to do so.  
  
"Gil?" Sara asked, approaching the dark room. She reached out to switch on the light.  
  
"What're you doing sitting in the dark?" She sat on the couch.  
  
He tried to clear his throat. "Nothing."  
  
"You should be in bed, Gil." She said worriedly.  
  
"I didn't want to disturb you and I couldn't sleep." He started to cough again.  
  
"You didn't have to do that. You're sick. How long have you been coughing like that?" She moved closer to him.  
  
"I don't know. A few hours, I guess." He answered tiredly.  
  
Sara looked at the clock and saw that it was already 3 o'clock. The shift would start in a few hours and she didn't want to go to work with him being like this.  
  
"Let's go to bed. I'll fix you something to eat." She pointed toward his room.  
  
He groaned at that. "I'm not hungry."  
  
"Come on, you have to eat something. When was the last time you put food in your mouth?" She couldn't believe that she was the one telling him this and not the other way around.  
  
He shook his head. "I can't Sara. I don't want to throw up again."  
  
She ignored him and took him to the bedroom. Then she took another shower and headed to the kitchen. Before she could bring the soup to him, he slowly walked out of his room.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm getting ready for work." He answered as a matter of fact.  
  
"Are you out of your mind? How could you possibly go to work like this?" She said angrily.  
  
"Go back to bed now!" She ordered him.  
  
He was apparently shocked. He had never seen her like this before. For only a moment, she reminded him of his mother. He had no choice but to go back to his bedroom. She didn't mean to be so mean to him. But she knew that she had to do this to help him get better. 'Who's he kidding? Going to work like this.' She followed him into the room. She found him half sitting on the bed with his back leaned against bed board waiting for her.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm worried about you and it seems to me that you are not aware of the fact that you are really sick." She held his hand and squeezed it a little.  
  
He looked up and nodded slightly. "I know."  
  
He looked at the soup that she had been holding since she went into the room. "Do I really have to eat this?" He asked bitterly.  
  
"Yes, you do." She lifted spoon toward his mouth.  
  
He opened his mouth slowly. He tried to swallow it. When he had finished, she lifted another to him. After a few spoons, he raised his hand to tell her that he had enough.  
  
"Come on, Gil. Have some more."  
  
He shook his head. "I'm sorry I can't. This is the best I can do."  
  
She smiled sadly. "Now, get some rest." She pulled a blanket up to him.  
  
"Aren't you going to work?" He asked.  
  
"With you being like this, I don't think I should go." She looked at him.  
  
"You should go to work. We've already short of one person today." He pointed at himself.  
  
Before she could protest, he held his hand in front of her face.  
  
"I'm fine, Sara. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." He tried to reassure her.  
  
"O.K. I'll go but I'll call to check up on you. Get some rest." She kissed his forehead. She looked at him with concern on her face before she left the room.  
  
"Where's Griss?" Warrick asked.  
  
"He called me and said that he's not feeling well." Sara told them trying to avoid their gazes.  
  
"You mean he's not coming in tonight?" Warrick asked again.  
  
Sara nodded. At that moment Catherine walked into the room.  
  
"You guys might have heard that Grissom is not coming, so I'm in charge tonight. You and Nick have the robbery case." She handed Sara the file.  
  
"Warrick, you're with me."  
  
Before Catherine left, she asked. "Sara?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What's the matter with him? Is he alright? It's unusual for him to take a night off even if he's sick." She was curious and concerned.  
  
"He said that he has a cold. Other than that you should call him and ask him yourself." She didn't look up when she told Catherine.  
  
"Maybe I should call him. See you later." She waved at them.  
  
Nick looked over at Sara. 'Why would Grissom call Sara instead of Catherine?' He wondered but decided to keep his mouth shut because he had to work with her tonight. Upsetting her would be the last thing he wanted to do.  
  
"Shall we?" He gestured toward the door.  
  
They were on their way back to the lab after they went to the suspect's house. Nick looked at his passenger. She hadn't said anything since they left. Nick also noticed that Sara had been agitated since the start of the shift. 'Something is definitely bothering her. She's here but her mind is somewhere else.'  
  
"Sara, are you hungry?" Nick asked.  
  
Sara frowned and shook her head. She was not hungry. All she thought about was Grissom. She was worried about him. It had been almost eight hours since she left the house. She had called him twice but he hadn't answered.  
  
"Come on. I'm hungry. We can stop by anyplace you want, to get something to eat." He tried to distract her. It seemed to him that it might work because she turned to look at him.  
  
It took her a moment to register his words. She could go and see how he's doing but she had to tell Nick about her and Grissom. 'It's important. He'll understand.'  
  
"Yes. That's a good idea. We should stop by someplace."  
  
Nick was surprised that Sara agreed with him too easily but he tried to ignore it.  
  
"Where do you want to go?"  
  
She smiled and he felt something was up on her mind. His instinct was correct. He was even more shocked when she told him where she wanted to go.  
  
He was in front of the door of Grissom's house. He looked over at Sara who took a key chain out of her pocket. She unlocked the door.  
  
"Sara, since when do you have Grissom's key?" Nick asked confused.  
  
"I think I should tell you something before we get inside." She turned to Nick.  
  
"You have to promise me not to tell anyone what I'm going to tell you and what you are about to see."  
  
Nick held his hand up in the air. "I promise"  
  
Sara sighed. "I've been seeing Griss for almost six months now and it's the best thing that has ever happened in my life. We are in love, Nick." She was surprised by her own words. She had never told anyone before and it was easier than she had thought it would be.  
  
Nick was surprised but he had expected something like this happening to them eventually. He was really happy for the both of them.  
  
"I'm glad that you are happy, Sara. You guys deserve it." Nick hugged her tightly.  
  
She returned his hug. "Thank you. I'm so relieved that I finally told someone."  
  
"Oh, that explains why you have been glowing lately." Nick winked at her.  
  
Sara was blushing by his comment. "Let's get inside."  
  
Nick followed her and closed the door behind him.  
  
"I'm going to check up on him. I'll be right back." She left to the bedroom.  
  
She heard that he was coughing. "Honey, are you awake?" Sara asked, approaching the bed.  
  
He was still asleep but he was restless. Sara shook him lightly. He groaned and opened his eyes slowly.  
  
"Sara?" He asked, confused by her presence.  
  
"Yes, I am. Who did you think it was? Were you expecting someone else, Mr. Grissom?" She teased him.  
  
He chuckled at that. "No. I didn't expect someone else and it's Dr. Grissom."  
  
"What time is it? Are you off?" He asked, tried to get up.  
  
"No, I'm not off. I just stopped by to check up on you and I brought Nick with me. Before you say anything, it was necessary. I didn't know how I could possibly get away from work and come to see you. Nick was there and I trust him."  
  
"Good. I trust you, Sara. If you think it's good then it's good." He smiled at her.  
  
"Is it you or the flu talking?" She helped him getting up.  
  
"I think it's a little bit of both." He walked slowly with her helping him.  
  
"Hey, Nick."  
  
Nick turned. "Hi, Griss. How do you feel?"  
  
Grissom sat down on the couch. "I've had better days." He smiled sadly and started coughing again. Nick looked over at him.  
  
"See, I told you. I think you should go and see a doctor."  
  
"Are you kidding? I don't think so. I feel better now." He said defensively.  
  
Sara turned to him. "Honey, it's cold out here. I think you should go back to bed."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Bye, Nick. Thanks for taking Sara here." He gave Nick a small smile.  
  
"It's okay boss. Get well soon." He looked at the new couple. 'They are perfect together. I'm so happy for them.' A smile lit up on his face.  
  
When Sara returned, Nick told her that she didn't have to go back to work. He said he got it under control.  
  
"You should be with him. He needs you. I'll tell Catherine that you didn't feel well and I dropped you off at home."  
  
"Nick, are you sure? You don't have to do this."  
  
"I want to Sara and I can handle the case myself." He waved at her and left the house.  
  
Sara was grateful that Nick did this for both of them. She went back to the bedroom. She leaned to kiss his cheek. She sat down next to him and held his hand before she fell asleep.  
  
TBC. 


End file.
